“Hmm.” He cocked his head to the side and studied her with his piercing eyes.
“Could I use the bathroom, please?” She asked.
“Do you wish to take a bath? I can order the servants to draw a bath for you.”
“No, thank you. I just need to use the toilet and get dressed.”
He looked at her blankly.
“The loo, the water closet,” she explained.
“Ah! Excuse me. Of course. It is through that door. I will wait for you in the sitting room, through that other door.”
“Thank you. I’ll just be a minute.” She grabbed her pile of clothing and hurried to the bathroom. Wanting only to escape this strange conversation. She didn’t know what was going on, but something was off. What the hell had happened to her?
CHAPTER 7 - No Wi-Fi.
SHE OPENED THE DOORand inhaled in surprise. Instead of the porcelain features she expected, she found herself in a room full of wood cabinets.
“Well, if this isn’t the most wonderfully preserved Victorian bathroom I have ever seen.” She swept her eyes over everything, taking in every detail. If she had not been a trained architect, who was moreover engaged in recreating a historical English mansion, she would have been completely baffled by this room. As it was, she had only read about these features and sometimes seen drawings and photographs of them. She had never seen them in person.
She ran her hand over the exquisitely carved wood encasing the bathtub. The gorgeous sink cabinet had a stone top, and next to the bathtub on the far side, she spotted a sitz bath. Thank goodness that had gone into disuse. She could not see the practicality or hygiene of sitting and soaking your nether regions in one of those. The bidet had been a much better invention, even though it had fallen into disuse in the US too. Not so much in Europe. There, she was happy to see the bidet tradition was alive and well.
Ok, this bathroom was spectacular, and she was going to study it and take pictures like there was no tomorrow. She already had so many ideas about things she could implement in her designs for her client’s mansion. She was going to blow the lady’s socks off! But right now, she needed to pee. Historical accuracy was all well and good, but she hoped there was a real flushing toilet under that elaborate wooden box. She sat down and relieved herself. But then... where was the toilet paper? She found a little flat wooden box, opened it, and found it contained thin linen squares. They were rough and looked more like paper napkins than toilet paper, but they would have to do.
She quickly washed and dressed and used a comb she found in a cabinet to bring some semblance of order to her hair. Where was her hairband? Ah, yes, on her wrist. Good. She put her hair up in a high ponytail, then rinsed her mouth with water and something called cream dentifrice, which she assumed was toothpaste, even though it was in a jar instead of a tube. These people went all-in with the period recreation. If it were up to her, she would recreate some of the aesthetics, but would also incorporate modern conveniences, and no way would she ever cover a toilet in wood! That must be a heck of a job to keep clean.
After donning her clothes, and restoring herself, she felt more optimistic. She looked at herself in the mirror. Not too bad. Maybe she had avoided a crash after all, and the extent of the accident was no more than her car going off the road. Losing consciousness was worrisome, though. She had never fainted in her life. Probably a side effect of jet lag and exhaustion, not to mention the panic of going off the road. It had all been too much for her. Yes, that must be it. She was well now.
Exiting the bathroom, she crossed the bedroom and went to the other door Dale had indicated. The open window showed a spectacular view of a magnificent garden and park. This place was as grand as a palace. And she couldn’t feel more out of place. She needed to get to her car. And her cell phone. Where would her cell phone be? In the car? No. She had it with her when she came out of the car. A pat to the coat pockets confirmed it wasn’t there anymore. She’d ask him.
Opening the door to the sitting room, she found him standing in front of the window with his back to her. He didn’t hear her enter, so she took a moment to admire his figure. Tall, broad-shouldered, and athletic. His back was a perfect inverted triangle, accentuated by an exquisitely cut coat narrowing down to slim hips. He wore high-waisted trousers that skimmed his muscular legs. Long elegant fingers were clasped behind his back... and there was her phone!
He turned as if alerted by the heat of her gaze. He wore an arrested expression on his face as he stared back at her a bit longer than was polite. Under his intense scrutiny, she felt her cheeks heating and had to fight the urge to squirm. He truly was the most attractive man she had ever met.
She broke the awkward silence. “Ah! I see you have my phone. Wonderful. I was concerned I had lost it.” She approached him, pasting a smile on her face and extending her hand for the phone.
